


In Love with a Black-Leathered Criminal

by Lynn_Stewart



Series: In Love with a Black-Leathered Criminal [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, F/M, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24964882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn_Stewart/pseuds/Lynn_Stewart
Summary: {CRIMINAL AU}Ladybug has been dealing with Chat Noir's various robbery's for almost a year, but when he visits her as Marinette, she may or may not fall for him.I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: In Love with a Black-Leathered Criminal [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1806892
Comments: 6
Kudos: 67





	1. Cat in the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat as rebelled against his duty as a hero for Paris, while Ladybug takes on the job of trying to catch him when he does any sort of crime.

Ladybug chased the black cat criminal across the rooftops of Paris, running faster then her legs could handle. Chat Noir was infamous for making daring escapes then disappearing without a trace, only whatever he had stolen was gone when the police showed up, but Ladybug was watching over the museum that night. She had finally figured out his pattern for robbing museums. He would move in a circular rotation from each museum in the city, and tonight was no different. "C'mon, milady, try to keep up," He exclaimed, vaulting away on his staff. They had been partners for 6 years until he decided to use his power to get things he wanted or get whatever he felt like getting about a year ago. Ladybug rolled her eyes as she swung to catch up on her yo-yo.

As she landed on the top of Notre Dame, where he seemed to be headed, she looked around, seeing no one but the distant red and blue light that had been following the two. She sighed, claiming loss to the police as they arrived. "Ladybug! This is the fourth time this month he has gotten away! How about we do the job and you go back to saving Paris," Roger exclaimed.

"Maybe if your cars could keep up with him, I wouldn't have to keep helping you," She folded her arms in front of her chest as she leaned onto her right hip. Roger, along with surrounding cops who could surely hear the conversation, stayed silent at her remark. She had gotten closer than anyone else on the police force had. She told details about the break-in to investigators, then she made her way back to her studio apartment, where she lived all alone. "Spots off," She huffed, slumping onto the couch.

"I'm sure you'll catch him soon Mari, but for now you need to eat, you haven't eaten at all today," The red kwami fussed. As she stood in the kitchen, looking into her fridge, she heard a thud on her outside balcony, followed by a pair of green luminescent eyes staring back at her through the glass door. She fell back, only to quickly realize who was out there. He had come a few times, but not right after a robbery. She knew that turning him in right now wouldn't be useful to her, he could tell Marinette things that he would never tell Ladybug.

"Chat!" She stomped over to the sliding door, walking out to see Chat perched upon her railing.

"Hello, Princess," He cooed.

"What are you doing here so late?"

"What are you doing up so late?" Marinette's mind frantically thought of a response.

"I had fashion design's that I wanted to be done,"

"For the Agreste brand?" He cocked an eyebrow. She had recently got an intern job working for her old classmate, Adrien Agreste, who had inherited the business from his father. She accidentally let it slip out of her mouth on one of his first visits, and he hadn't let it go yet.

"Yes, Adrien wants them to be done by the end of this week, It's really stressing me out," Marinette rubbed her temple, exaggerating her stress level. Chat flinched at the remark, his face wide-eyed then a look of regret washing over his face. He felt bad for causing her so much stress, he wasn't meaning too, she had insisted that she could handle extra work from time to time.

"O-oh, well if you want I can go,"

"No, just let me change into something more comfortable," Marinette explained, walking back inside while Chat followed her.

"Oh, something scandalous?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"No, you dumb cat!" She dug out the nickname from the back of her memory, remembering what he was like when they were partners. She went into her bedroom, closing and locking the door behind her so Chat couldn't try anything, not that he would. Despite the comments he made, he was a respectable guy. She changed from the black pencil skirt and long sleeve button up to a pair of flannel shorts and a black sports bra. As she and Chat sat on the couch, flipping through different channels, they stopped on the news.

"Chat Noir has stolen another painting from the Louvre, but Ladybug was unable to catch him," The news anchor reported. Marinette quickly turned her head to look at him, staring him down with narrowed eyes.

"What? I had to! I-"

"Let me guess, you really wanted it?" She asked, standing up in frustration. Even though she had already known he had gotten it, her civilian self hadn't known yet. Chat avoided her gaze and her question. She huffed and rolled her eyes before getting up to go to the kitchen.

"Princess, I'm sorry..." He wrapped his arms around her neck from behind, slumping onto her with all his weight.

"Chat, I haven't eaten all day, I'm trying to find something to make," She pushed him off of her as she searched the cabinets, spotting a box of Kraft Dinner and picking it out.

"Princess! You need to take better care of yourself!" Despite being a criminal who was wanted in almost every part of France, he took care of her. When she had a slight cough, he made sure she was drinking water and was resting, and when she was cold on the nights they sat on the balcony, he pulled her closer to him.

Do you want some or not?" She shook the box of macaroni, only to receive an excited nod from him. They ate Kraft Dinner as they watched late-night talk shows, his purring soothing her as she began to fall asleep.


	2. Coffee meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette leaves early to have coffee with Alya, who continually asks about her love life.

Marinette woke in her bed, the early morning sun shining through her blinds. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and stretched, only to see the black cat laying beside her. She thought back to the night before, thinking what happened before she fell asleep. "Chat..." she groaned, shaking him gently.

"Mm," He protested against the morning light, refusing to open his eyes.

"I thought you didn't like being out during the day?"

"I don't, but your bed is comfy," He pulled the cover's closer to him. Marinette got out of bed and went to the bathroom, turning on the shower. As she walked out, wrapped in a towel, she saw Chat sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal.

"You got up quickly," She smirked.

"Your shower woke me up," His face melted into a soft smile, unlike his mischievous Cheshire grin.

"Sorry..." She quickly changed into her outfit for her internship at the Agreste mansion.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Chat asked, pointing to the clock on the door.

"I don't have to be there until 9:30, it's only 8," She huffed, practically pushing him out the sliding door to the balcony. "But I have to meet Alya for coffee,"

"Fine, fine, but how about a goodbye kiss?" He pursed his lips, not actually expecting a kiss but his 'goodbye kiss' had become an inside joke between the two when she accidentally kissed him on the cheek after a late-night meeting.

"Shut up," She pushed his face away, feeling her heart rate quicken suddenly. Chat leapt off, running across rooftops.

"Marinette! Why do you always just let him stay? He's a criminal!" Tikki scolded, appearing from her assigned drawer in the kitchen.

"He might tell me something that's useful," She explained. Tikki cocked her non-existent eyebrow, crossing her tiny arms. "He might!" She insisted.

"Ok, you keep telling yourself that," She made her way to the cabinet, taking out a cookie for breakfast. Marinette left for the cafe she had planned to meet Alya at. She hadn't seen her best friend since the end of college, which was about a year ago. Though they did stay in touch, Alya was travelling a lot due to her job in the journalism business.

"Marinette!" The redhead waved from a table near the middle of the outdoor sitting the cafe offered. Marinette waved back and excitedly ran towards the table.

"Hey! I missed you so much!" She hugged Alya tight before sitting down in the metal cafe chair. The two chatted about their days apart, Alya was moved in with Nino and they had recently adopted a dog, naming him DJ. It didn't take long until Alya brought up the subject of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"Did you hear he took a painting from the Louvre last night?"

"Yeah, I don't understand why he all of a sudden went from good to bad,"

"Me either, but I'm sure Ladybug will catch him soon," The assurance in Alya's statement left a feeling of pressure on Marinette's mind, but a slight feeling of confidence, knowing that her best friend still looked up to her as an idol. As they sipped their coffee, Alya poked at Marinette's love life, asking if she was seeing anyone.

"Uhh," her voice trailed. Her mind immediately went to Chat, but she couldn't tell why. His cheesy pickup lines and flirty comments had been getting to her lately, but she never acted on it, merely pushing it to the back of her mind. Was she falling for him? "No, I don't have time with the Agreste internship," She lied. She had plenty of time to find a date, Adrien rarely gave her too much work that she couldn't finish quickly.

"Ok, girl, you keep telling yourself that," Alya said, reminding Marinette of Tikki's earlier comment. The girls finished their coffee and were off their separate ways, promising to spend time together more.


	3. Sleep Deprived

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien notices how tired Marinette has been and advises that she get some sleep, He shows up on her balcony, as per the norm, and makes sure she's sleeping, like his civilian self said to do.

“Come in,” A cheerful voice came from behind the door that Marinette knocked on. She gently pushed the door open, greeting Adrien with a soft smile.   
“Here are the designs you asked for,” She said, setting a folder down on his desk. Adrien noticed a small yawn escape her lips, remembering her comment from 2 nights before.   
“How late did you stay up working on these?” He asked, looking up from the papers.   
“What do you mean?”   
“How late did you stay up working?” He repeated himself, with a more demanding tone.   
“I-it wasn’t much, I’m fine,”   
“Mari, you need to take care of yourself,” He stood from his desk, giving her a sympathetic smile with furrowed eyebrows. “I didn’t give you too much work, did I?”   
“N-no…” She rubbed her arm as she avoided his gaze. Adrien sighed, knowing she would continue this habit whether he told her to stop or not.   
“Marinette, go home early and get some rest,” Marinette opened her mouth before quickly closing it, realizing she couldn’t argue with her boss. Despite being her boss, Marinette and Adrien were friends from high school. He cared about her health and safety. He had become more and more concerned about her well being since he started visiting her as Chat. As Marinette left, Adrien found his eyes resting on her swaying hips, enchanted by their movement. He shook his head, freeing him of his thought as his office door closed again. 

Marinette laid in her bed, feeling the cool late-night air coming through her window. Despite the early June heat, nights would cool down when the clock hit around 10:00 pm. The nap she took earlier kept her awake, so she sat in her bed at 3 am, hoping to become tired soon. Marinette sighed, seeing her kwami sound asleep on her nightstand. Marinette got up from her bed and made her way to the kitchen, wearing only a sports bra and black shorts. She searched through the fridge, finding nothing appetizing to her at the time and closing it to sit on the couch.   
“Marinette!” Chat suddenly appeared on the balcony, his voice slightly muffled from the glass door between them. Marinette’s body jerked, before reluctantly getting up and letting the blonde inside. “What are you doing up so late! You need to rest!”   
“Chat, I just can’t sleep,” She groaned, sitting back down on the couch.   
“Have you actually tried falling asleep?” Chat cocked an eyebrow, leaning against the glass door with his arms crossed in front of him.   
“Well…” Her voice trailed. She knew she wasn’t tired, and there was no way she could fall asleep now, so there was no sense in trying. Chat’s face fell flat, with a slight appearance of irritation.   
“Marinette…” He sat next to her on the couch, setting a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at his touch, not because she was uncomfortable, but because of the sudden attention. Along with her body, she felt her heart flinch, flutter almost. “Mari, you need to take care of yourself,”   
“That’s exactly what my boss said,” The line took Chat back for a moment. He didn’t mean to quote his civilian self, but she needed to know that he cared about her, both as Adrien and as Chat. “Well Chat, If you say so… I’ll go try and sleep,” She got up, heading back to her room before looking back over her shoulder to Chat. “Now go home and get some rest…”


	4. Adrenaline Inducing Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat visits a place that brings back memories of his days with Ladybug, and so does Ladybug. As they sit atop Notre Dame, sirens come after the both of them, and after they get away, Chat see's something very surprising.

Chat didn’t take Marinette’s advice as he left, off to an old location he hadn’t visited often, the top of Notre Dame where he and Ladybug sat after their patrols. They would sit and talk for what felt like hours, sitting beneath the stars. He sat alone now, Ladybug nowhere to be found. He did miss seeing his partner almost every day, but he liked being free of the heroic pedestal that Paris put him and Ladybug on. He was in the spotlight enough as Adrien, but when Chat became even more talked about, he couldn’t handle it. Being a wanted criminal meant that he was free from expectations, even though he was still in the spotlight, the main point wasn’t about him. It was always about how Ladybug failed to catch him, again and again.   
“Chat Noir….” A stern voice came from behind him. There stood his ex-partner, Ladybug. Her hair was held in a high ponytail, complete with a ribbon that blew slightly in the light wind. Her suit had taken new changes as she got older, and so did his. Black was added to her forearms and hands to look like long gloves, a black V shape stretched down her neck and onto her chest, and the iconic black spots stayed the same throughout the design. Chat’s suit, on the other hand, hadn’t changed much. The bell was now functioned as a zipper, which Chat held lower, exposing his collarbone and a small bit of his chest.   
“Oh excuse me milady…” He stood, just to mock a bow then smirk as he peeked up to the bluenette. “I hear that someone has robbed the Louvre, I am here to help you,”   
“Chat…” Her voice laced with frustration and annoyance only provoked his mockery more.   
“Are you going to arrest me bugaboo?” He mocked his past flirtatious nicknames. He only called her Ladybug now. He had fallen for someone else, a princess. She stayed quiet, knowing that she couldn’t arrest him without proof of him committing any crimes. All she had was his daring escapes, and Paris believed whatever she said.   
“So, you still come here too?” Her voice fell in volume, resting just above a whisper.   
“I haven’t been here in a while, but I like to come when I can,”   
“How busy is your schedule that you can’t take time to relax, but you can take time to rob the Louvre or a bank?” Ladybug sat down, letting her legs dangle off the edge.   
“How do you know I stole all those paintings and that money?” Chat asked, sitting next to her as he leaned back onto his hands. Ladybug rolled her eyes. She had been telling the police about his various crimes but they had never found any evidence, other than alarm systems that had gone off. “Y’know, I’m surprised you haven’t caught me yet,”   
“You and me both,” Ladybug sighed. “You leave nothing behind, I don’t understand how,”  
“A good thief never reveals his secrets,”  
“Isn’t that magicians?”  
“How about you just join me? You have got to be tired of the fame,” Chat suggested, ignoring her previous comment.   
“I know Hawk Moth isn’t around anymore, but what happens if another Hawk Moth appears?”   
“You were the one who lost the butterfly miraculous…” He said underneath his voice. He could tell that struck a soft spot with her. “Sorry…”   
“I got Roger and even the mayor to try and find it but all they found was the peacock miraculous in Gabriel’s room,” She explained. Chat sighed, remembering the traumatic day that was fighting Hawk Moth. He hadn’t seen his father since the trial. The words manslaughter, terrorism and abandonment of child echoed in his head every time his father was mentioned. He sighed, knowing that she was right, he might have to come back to being a hero if someone like Hawk Moth started terrorizing Paris again.   
“I’ll deal with that day when it comes, if it ever does,” He let out a worried chuckle, knowing that it wasn’t an impossible situation. The silence that fell between them was interrupted by the sound of sirens in the distance. Chat felt his heart jump. As they saw the red and blue lights turn towards Notre Dame, Chat and Ladybug stood up in a panic. “Did you tip them off?” He looked to Ladybug.   
“No, did you steal something?” Ladybug asked in a panicked manner.   
“No, how do they know where I am?” Chat asked. Something in Ladybug’s head made her body grab Chat’s hand, and run with him. “Where are we going?” Chat asked as they ran across the rooftops.   
“Anywhere away from here,” Ladybug wasn’t sure where they were going to hide, but they needed to get out of there. As she passed by her old high school, she remembered that her parent's bakery was nearby. Ladybug quickly turned around, and landed on her balcony, ducking into the hatch door and into her old room.   
“Marinette’s bedroom?” Chat asked, climbing down the ladder from the loft bed. As Ladybug looked around, she remembered all the memories that she and Tikki made in that room, along with Alya and Marinette’s other friends. Ladybug had never thought of an excuse as to why she brought them to her old bedroom.   
“Y-yeah, she and I are…..friends,” She lied. Chat didn’t say anything in response, but he seemed to believe her. As they sat in her old bedroom, waiting until the police sirens that ran throughout the city stopped, Ladybug was thankful her parents hadn’t woken up and checked in her room. Once the sirens outside seemed to stop, Ladybug and Chat Noir went their separate ways. Chat Noir lept toward the Agreste mansion, only to realize that Ladybug was headed towards Marinette’s apartment building. He secretly followed her back, watching as she landed on the balcony that he had perched himself on so many times in the past and de-transformed, leaving Marinette to go back inside wearing the pyjamas she was wearing when he saw her earlier that night.


	5. Superhero reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette has to face her consequence from the night before as she stands in Adrien's office, stifling a yawn.

Marinette stifled a yawn as she stood in front of Adrien. Instead of going to bed, she spent most of the night thinking about what Chat had said. She knew that she couldn’t join him completely, but she felt the slight urge to rebel against the expectations that Paris held her under. “These are very good Marinette,” Adrien said, noticing her yawn.   
“Thank you, Mr. Agreste,” It felt strange to call one of her high school best friends by his last name, which he seemed to hate since his father was convicted.   
“How much sleep did you get last night?” he asked, knowing she would find some sort of excuse as to why she was up so late.   
“Well, I did take a nap as you said, but I couldn’t fall asleep so I took a small walk last night,” Marinette explained. Taking a small walk… Is that what she called it? Jumping through Paris while running from the police was just a small walk to her. He smiled, remembering their events from the previous night. Adrien sighed, passing his assistant, Natalie the tablet he had been looking at her work on.   
“Marinette, Natalie is retiring soon and I will need a new assistant and I was considering you for the job, how about it?” He smiled, letting his ‘boss’ persona go.   
“Really? Thank you, Adrien!” Her excited behaviour from high school seemed to reappear suddenly. She still had the same positive and independent energy from high school, but she rarely got overly excited about anything. Marinette left the Agreste mansion, hopeful for her new job.   
“Marinette, are you sure you’re going to be able to handle being Adrien’s assistant?” Tikki asked, appearing from her bag.   
“What do you mean?”   
“Being his assistant will mean you have to work almost 24/7,” Tikki explained. “Being Ladybug already takes up a lot of your time,”   
“I’m sure I can manage a schedule, I did it for all of high school and college,” Marinette wasn’t worried about a busy schedule, she was used to cramming a lot of things in one day. “Plus, this is a big opportunity for me,” As Marinette sat in her living room, watching T.V, she saw a black cat passing by, followed by the police sirens. Marinette quickly transformed and leaped from her balcony, following the trail of money that blew in the wind. Chat Noir had robbed another small bank nearby. She sighed, knowing that she had no chance of catching him but she could still try. 

“Did you see him leave the bank with the money?” Ladybug asked the police officers.   
“No, but we saw him on the next street over, running with the money,”   
“Was he running on foot or on staff,”  
“On staff,” The police officer explained. Chat hadn’t left without a trace though, there was security footage of him breaking into the vault with his cataclysm, and taking the money. Something in Ladybug’s mind didn’t want to catch Chat, she didn’t want her ex-partner to be locked up. She hoped that one day, he would see his wrongdoings and try to repair his reputation to something like before.


	6. Late-night 'Shopping' Trips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a bank robbery done by Chat, Ladybug considers what he the previous night, leaving her hero duties for a single night.

As Ladybug sat beneath the setting sun, on the top of Notre Dame, Chat's suggestion from earlier that week stood out in her mind. “Come join me,” He repeated in her mind. As if summoned, Chat appeared behind her, dropping a mocking superhero line. “Did you like my little bank stunt?” He asked, a playful tone in his voice.   
“They have security footage of you, y’ know,”   
“How do you know that was me?”   
“You’re the only person in Paris who has the ability to use cataclysm,”   
“Well, looks like you got me,” He mocked a defeated expression.   
“About what you said the other night…” She avoided his gaze. “I would never completely abandon Paris, but I do feel pressured by their expectations,”   
“Does the famous Ladybug want to rebel?” He cocked an eyebrow.   
“Not completely, I just want to get out of the spotlight, as you said…” Ladybug sighed. “I want to do something wild,” She stood up, adrenaline pumping through her veins.   
“Ok, let’s go rob a store,”  
“How do you say that so casually,”  
“It just comes naturally to me, just like flirting,” He winked. Ladybug felt her heart flutter. As they landed on the rooftop of a small business, Chat Noir guided her through the complex security system. Ladybug realized that she had a skill for stealth, and planning each move carefully. Almost 6 years of fighting Akuma’s every other day really helped in the plan building department. Chat Noir used cataclysm on the cashier, setting a shrill alarm to blare as they ran out a back exit, climbing onto the roof again and running away laughing with money in each hand. Ladybug felt a small bit of guilt lay over her, but it was overshadowed by adrenaline and a sense of freedom. She watched as police cars passed by the alley they had been hiding in, Chat gesturing for her to stay beside him by placing his arm across her chest while he peered behind the wall to the street.   
“Now I know why you always do that,”  
“Are you done being a complete hero?” He jokingly asked.   
“No, Paris still needs someone who can protect them,”   
“I know…” His voice trailed the word. “If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me,” He winked, before running off. Ladybug wasn’t sure why he left in such a hurry, his ring transformation didn’t expire as quickly as it did when they were partners, but she realized that he was headed for her apartment balcony, exactly where he often went after any crime he committed. Ladybug dashed home with the duffle bag of money, landing nimbly on her balcony with no cat in sight. Marinette now had $1,000 to herself, with no way to cover it up. As she reached for her balcony door, she saw it partially opened. Someone was inside. She quietly snuck into the apartment, avoiding any possible noise. As she turned into her small kitchen, she saw the black cat rummaging through her fridge.   
“Chat!” The look on his face told her that he had found something out recently. She didn’t know how his facial expression told her that, but she knew she was right. Marinette quickly threw the bag away from her.   
“Princess, Where were you? I was starting to get worried,” He mocked a worried expression, almost throwing himself into her arms as he laid his hand on his head dramatically.   
“Did you search my entire apartment?” She asked, closing the fridge door.   
“Why yes, maybe a sudden Akuma appeared and you were the first of a new trend,”   
“There hasn’t been an Akuma attack for a year and a half,” She rolled her eyes, knowing his accusation wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.   
“You keep track? I thought only Ladybug would’ve known that” His words caught her off guard. Had he found out? He still hadn’t mentioned anything.   
“I-it’s not that hard to keep track of the days, Chaton,” His heart fluttered at the sudden recurrence of the nickname, the last time someone called him by that name was after Hawk Moth was defeated by Ladybug.   
“It will be okay, Chaton,” Her words always stuck with him. He hadn’t been okay ever since Hawk Moth’s trial, he only felt partially safe around Marinette and the few times he actually came in direct contact with Ladybug.   
“Even I didn’t know how many days it’s been,” He cooed, pushing the memories the nickname brought back to the deepest part of his mind.   
“I’m just very…” She paused, searching her mind for the correct word to use. “Observant?” She said with a nervous smile on her face. “Anyway, Chat, you seem rather comfortable today. Any reason why?” If it was possible, he was more comfortable around Marinette, knowing that she was Ladybug. But why would she keep him around? Why not just call the police? or just arrest him on the spot?   
“Princess… What’s that bag for?” He pointed to the duffle bag, avoiding her question. Marinette’s heart started racing, in sync with her thoughts. If Chat saw the money he would know she was Ladybug.   
“Nothing!” She rushed to the bag and picked it up again, quickly throwing it in her room. Chat knew exactly what it was but he decided to brush it off. Marinette began to take out a pot and set it on the stove. She made macaroni for the both of them, chatting while Chat eagerly listened. As she talked about fashion and her new job opportunity, he saw the spark of inspiration and excitement in her eyes, and soon, he found himself staring at her longingly. Whenever she would glance over, he would move his gaze to somewhere else. She did the same as well when he talked about the fun times he and Ladybug had that earlier day.   
Chat knew he liked Marinette, he was head over heels in love with her. He wasn’t sure how she felt about him. She seemed to talk to him the same way she talked to Adrien, but little did he, and Marinette know. She had also fallen for a black cat.


	7. What do you think of me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Chat have their usual night together until Marinette feels the tension between them, and things get romantic

Marinette didn’t realize her feelings until he had come over after a hard day at her new job. Being an assistant to a model and fashion designer was more tiring than she imagined. When she came home, she saw Chat, perched on her railing like he did every night. When Marinette was done working for the day, he would also call it a day and wait for Marinette, as Chat. He knew that his behaviour was a bit obsessive, reminding him of his behaviour when he liked Ladybug, but he couldn’t help that he wanted to see her all day. He had watched her leave for her nightly patrols as Ladybug, the way her long hair magically made itself into a slick back high ponytail was so amazing to him. Her suit covered her curves perfectly and when she swung through the air, it was so graceful. 

“Chat, are you going to pick a game or not?” Chat had been staring down at two different games for longer than necessary. Crash Bandicoot: Warped or Spyro the Dragon. Both for the original PlayStation. Chat often liked playing on Marinette’s PlayStation when he visited, he was never able to find one that worked but Marinette borrowed this one from her father.   
“How about….” He paused, tapping his index finger on his chin in thought. “Crash Bandicoot: Warped?”  
“Fine by me,” She shrugged, picking up her controller and ready to play. As they took turns playing through each level, Marinette often found herself in awkward silence, besides the background noise admitting from the T.V.   
“Damn it!” He huffed in defeat as the game sounded a death sound. Chat passed Marinette the controller, annoyed that his claws made it surprisingly hard to use the controller. As she grabbed the controller, their fingers brushed. The brief contact made Marinette's face turn from her usual peach complexion to a strawberry red in seconds. She couldn’t stop staring at him, and she felt like she was hit by a bus. After he left, she found herself thinking about him the rest of the night, and the days following. She wondered,  
“What is he doing? Is he okay? Is he taking care of himself?” She was almost constantly thinking about his time and place. All she could think about was him. “Tikki…” She groaned, letting her voice trail off. The kwami sat on her pillow, next to Marinette’s head. She was eating a chocolate chip cookie which would leave crumbs on her bed but Marinette didn’t care right now.   
“What is it Marinette?”   
“I think I fell for Chat…” She waited for a response.   
“Really?” Tikki asked. She wasn’t surprised but she had gotten over her crush on Adrien and only Tikki knew that she had fallen for him again.   
“Yeah, I was thinking about him all day again,” Without a response, Tikki quickly hid in a drawer in her nightstand. Marinette looked to her door and saw the blonde staring back at her. “Chat didn’t I tell you to knock when you want in?” She pouted, avoiding his gaze. She sat up in her bed and moved over, patting a space beside her.   
“Sorry Princess,” he crawled into bed next to her, laying down as she laid back down. As he turned around to face her, he realized how close his face was to hers, how close their lips were. Chat still had no idea what Marinette thought of him. He had to ask.   
“Marinette, what do you think of me?”  
“W-what?”  
“What do you think of me?” His voice fell to a whisper. He looked into her blue belle eyes, and at her freckles and how her cheeks turned to a light pink colour when he asked the question.   
“Well, you make me laugh, you’re caring, you’re…” She hesitated to say her next words.   
“I’m what?” He asked, looking at her eyes, then to her peach; plump lips and back. Marinette leaned in, Chat’s body doing the same. They both hesitated, knowing the consequences of their actions. Marinette would have to hide being Ladybug from Chat and Chat would have to tell Marinette that he was her boss. Marinette felt Chat’s warm breath on her lips, and it made her more eager to kiss him. They both threw caution to the window, letting their lips brush then interlock. She felt his hand run over her waist and up her back, pulling her in closer. His other hand caressed her face, the claw of his thumb gently grazing her skin as it moved along her cheek. As they both pulled away, they opened their eyes slowly, as if waking from a dream. A ‘Charlie Brown’ like nervous smile spread across each other's face.   
“Beautiful…” She said in a hushed tone. “You’re beautiful”


	8. The scent of pancakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after, Marinette debates telling him that she is Ladybug, the superhero who has been tracking him down for a year

As Marinette heard the blaring of her alarm clock, she opened her eyes to the small trickle of sunlight peeking through her blinds. As she reached for the off button on her alarm clock, she felt something shift beside her. As she looked over her shoulder lazily, she saw a cat ear, staring back at her. She recalled the night before, their kiss. It was lovely and he was amazing to be around, but would she have to break the news about her alter ego? Maybe she should ask Tikki. Marinette carefully got out of bed, keeping in mind the sleeping blonde and the bed creaking. “Tikki,” She slowly opened the drawer in her nightstand where she saw Tikki run off to last. The kwami peeked out then quickly zoomed past Marinette to the kitchen, grabbing a cookie from the pantry. “Tikki, what do I do?”   
“What do you mean?” Tikki asked, nibbling on the cookie.   
“Chat Noir is sleeping in my bed!” she exclaimed in a hushed tone. “How am I supposed to tell him that I, the one who just kissed him and has been spending time with him, is also the same person who is tracking him down every night,”   
“You can’t tell him!” Tikki protested. Marinette sighed. She wanted to tell him but she would run the risks of him being mad at her for lying or losing Tikki.   
“Why can’t I? I’m still the guardian aren’t I?”   
“I suppose,” Marinette did have a valid point, Tikki had gotten into the habit of telling her holders that revealing their secret identities to their partners was a bad idea, but she never had a Ladybug who was also a guardian of the miraculous. Marinette kept the idea in the back of her mind. As she turned around, she saw Chat Noir standing there, his hair messier than usual and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.   
“Good morning,” He yawned.   
“Good morning sleepy cat,” She walked over to him, ruffling his hair.   
“Who were you talking to?” Chat knew exactly who she was talking to. He heard the name Tikki be thrown around, Ladybug’s kwami.   
“Just Alya,”   
“How was your sleep beautiful?” He pulled her in closer from her waist, causing her boy to jerk back at the fast and sudden movement.   
“Just perfect,” She flicked his bell, running her index finger up and down the zipper’s pattern. “How about some breakfast?”   
“What are we making?” Chat asked, excitedly running towards the fridge and cabinets.   
“Pancakes?” she said, pulling out a box of pancake mix from a lower cabinet. As they made the pancake batter and poured the batter into a pan, Marinette’s apartment filled with the scent of pancakes.


	9. A nerve racking dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien's nerves are going haywire as he watches Luka subtly flirt with Marinette, and he watches from the outskirts of the conversation, unable to stop him.

Marinette hurried to the restaurant, excited to finally be together with her friends. Ever since Chat Noir had become a wanted criminal, Rena Rouge, Carapace and Viperion had dealt with different sorts of crimes, mostly minor ones, like street fights or public intoxication. Though Alya, Nino, Adrien or Luka knew that Marinette was Ladybug, she still looked forward to their rare meet-ups. Adrien and Marinette had taken a break from work to spend an evening with their high school friends.   
“Hey! There’s the business partners!” Nino exclaimed as Adrien and Marinette stepped out of the Agreste car. Adrien seemed off when he remembered that Luka would be there. Luka still liked Marinette, and he knew that she was single.   
“Hey, guys!” Marinette said happily.   
“I love your dress,” Alya commented. The black off the shoulder dress encased her body, reminding Adrien of her Ladybug costume.   
“Thanks,” Marinette said as they entered the restaurant. They sat at the table, looking at the menus, but Adrien was too focused on Marinette, how patient she was when Alya would ramble on and on about her job, how she always had a pleasant smile on her face, how understanding she was when the waiter got her order wrong. She was amazing in every way. They were almost done with dinner, all they needed was the cheque and he could stop worrying about Luka asking if she was available. He knew that she wasn’t property to him, but his mind screamed   
“Mine, mine, mine,” Whenever Luka talked to her.   
“Hey Marinette, are you free anytime soon?” The dreadful question was drowned out by Alya and Nino’s conversation, but Adrien could hear everything. He kept an open ear, hopeful she would decline him. Her and chat weren’t official yet, but she was still available.   
“Yeah, I’m usually free on the weekends,”   
“Do you think you and I could go out for dinner sometime soon? If it’s okay with you,”   
“I’m sorry, but I already have a boyfriend,” Marinette politely declined. Luka nodded, understandably and wished her relationship the best.   
“Marinette! You have a boyfriend?” Alya practically slammed her hands down on the table, which took Marinette back for a moment.   
“Yeah,” Marinette’s mind quickly searched for an excuse. She couldn’t tell her boss, and best friends that she was dating a criminal and ex-superhero.   
“So, who is this guy?” Alya nagged.   
“Well…” She paused, her eyes looking everywhere around the room except for Alya’s eye line. Her answer was stopped short by the waiter placing a cheque on the table. Marinette sighed in relief, thankful she had more time to think about her answer. Alya dropped the subject, and soon, Adrien and Marinette were in his car once again, driving back to Marinette’s apartment building. As Adrien drove down the street, he watched the streetlights come into view, then leave as he drove past them. The street was almost empty, except for the occasional late-night driver.   
“Thanks for driving me Adrien,” Marinette thanked, her smile standing out to him.   
“No problem,” He glanced over, seeing her lean her head against the window. “Is something wrong Marinette?”   
“It’s nothing,” She sighed.   
“You can talk to me, as a friend, not just as a boss,” He took his eyes off the road for a brief moment before returning them back. Marinette sat up, ready to explain.   
“There is this guy, who I really like and we have been seeing each other for a while now,”   
“Who is it? If you don’t mind,”   
“I probably shouldn’t tell you,”   
“Marinette…” He trailed, prodded for a response.   
“Okay, but you can’t tell anyone,” She let out a deep breath. “It’s Chat Noir,” Adrien stayed calm, knowing that if he pretended to freak out, she would freak out too.   
“Okay…” His voice trailed.   
“And we kissed, but all he does is flirt but I can tell he cares about me,”   
“Okay, but what’s the problem?” He stopped at a red light before sitting back in the driver’s seat.   
“The problem is that he flirts with everyone!” Marinette explained. “So I don’t know if he only kissed me in the heat of the moment or…” She trailed. Was that what she thought of him, was that what everyone thought of him.   
“Have you seen him flirt with anyone else?” Adrien said.   
“No, but he only really comes to see me, I haven’t seen him do the same with anyone else,” Marinette explained. “Should I just ask him? Or would that make it awkward,”   
“No, I don’t think it would,” Adrien was setting the moment for his future self, not too far into the future though.   
“Really?” Marinette looked to him with amazement in her eyes. He was excellent at giving advice, whenever she asked for it.  
“Marinette, any guy would be lucky to be with you,” His hand moved to her thigh on its own, only for him to quickly move it away. “S-sorry,” He apologized quickly, before continuing to drive as the light changed to green.   
“I-it’s okay,” She saw a slight familiarity in the way he smiled at her, the way it was so sincere, it reminded her of the smile that Chat had given her the morning after their kiss. 

“Kid, when are you going to tell her?” Plagg growled as he watched Marinette enter her apartment building.   
“I’m almost 23, I wish you would stop calling me kid,” Adrien complained, ignoring his question.   
“That doesn’t answer my question,”   
“I don’t know…”   
“It’s not that hard. I. Am. Chat Noir.” Plagg explained. Adrien knew that saying it wasn’t the hardest part, telling her that he knew she was Ladybug would be harder. She would suspect him of only seeing her because he liked Ladybug, which was completely untrue. He had grown to love Marinette, he missed their days of carelessness in high school.   
“Easier said than done,” Adrien drove home as Plagg sat on his dashboard, listening to the late-night radio show host spoke about recent news. As Adrien flopped onto his bed, he thought about when he was going to tell Marinette. It couldn’t be at work, or in public. His options were narrowed to her apartment building. 

Meanwhile, Marinette laid in her bed, thinking about how Adrien’s smile was so familiar. His smile was famous from his modelling occupation, but his smile from earlier was loving, precious and almost fragile. She fell asleep searching her memory for that smile.


	10. Do you worry about me, princess?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat comes to Marinette's balcony, ready to tell her everything but she is too smart for him, figuring out from a meer smile.

As Marinette woke for work, she noticed Chat Noir perched outside on her balcony, like always. “Chat!” She slid the door open. The cat turned around and came inside, shivering. The cool nights became colder the more into the night it became, and now Chat was freezing. “What were you doing out there?”   
“I was waiting for you,” He explained, sitting on the couch.   
“You need to be safe! Someone could have caught you!” She scolded, giving him a blanket then sitting next to him.   
“Do you worry about me, princess?” He smirked. Before, Marinette would have brushed off the comment, but now she wanted to express her feelings.   
“Yes, you dumb cat! She pulled him into a tight hug, not letting go anytime soon. “I care about you and I want you to be happy and safe!”   
“I’m happy the most when I’m around you,” He landed a kiss on her shoulder, not able to move from her tight hug.   
“Here, hold on!” She quickly got up and went to the junk drawer in her kitchen. She searched the drawer before pulling out a key with an attached keychain and running back to the couch. She placed the key in his hand. The faded pen ink on the keychain read ‘extra key’.  
“You’re extra room key?” He looked to Marinette.   
“Yeah! If you ever want to wait for me like this morning, you should wait in here where it’s warm,” She ran her hand up and down his bicep. “I trust you,”   
“I trust you too, Marinette,” He leaned in, kissing her soft lips. As she pulled away, she saw the same smile that came from Adrien the night before, but the only difference was, it was on Chat’s face.   
“Adrien?” Her voice fell in volume, just above a whisper.   
“Finally, princess,” He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on it before de-transforming, while Marinette looked at her hand in shock. “You finally figured me out,”   
“Oh. My. God,” She pulled her hand away, standing up and starting to pace back and forth. “I wasn’t expecting to be right, I just thought you two looked similar,”   
“I was planning on telling you, but you’re too smart for me,” He fiddled with his hands.   
“You were the one stealing all that money, all those paintings,” She turned to face him, shocked about all the memories she and Chat Noir experience as partners. “You own a huge company, why did you do it?”  
“I don’t like using my dad’s money, the money he made by making people fear him,” Adrien admitted. “Not just as Hawk Moth,”   
“Adrien, you make your own success,” She sat next to him, rubbing his back in comfort.   
“Also, I should tell you…” He trailed.   
“What is it?” She asked innocently.   
“I kind of know you’re Ladybug,” Marinette’s shocked expression returned.   
“How?”  
“I saw you come back after we robbed that store and you de-transformed?” He explained. Marinette managed to calm herself and try to get ready for her assistant job working for her boyfriend.

The rest of the day was filled with flirty puns and romantic gestures for Marinette as she worked. Adrien still acted as he did, but with added puns.   
“Mari,” Adrien called.   
“Yes?” She turned around from her current task. Adrien stood from his desk, closing the folder he was looking at.   
“Are you doing anything tonight?” Adrien asked. Marinette tapped her chin in thought, thinking of what her plans were.   
“I don’t have anything planned, but do you have any robbery plans?” She cocked an eyebrow, a slight annoyance in her expression.   
“C’mon, don’t be like that,” He made her way towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. He pressed a kiss on her head and pulled her in for a hug.   
“Don’t think you’re distracting me from this conversation,” She felt his purring as she rested her head on his chest. “But why do you ask?” she pulled away to meet his eyes.   
“Maybe we could go for a-” Before Adrien could finish his sentence they felt the ground start to shake, along with booming in the background. They both ran to look out the window, seeing the familiar black butterflies swarming around the Eiffel Tower.   
“What is happening?” Marinette asked. Those butterflies only led to one thing, the return of Hawk Moth.   
“Ladybug….” A voice cooed. The butterflies formed a face, similar to when Stoneheart had attacked Paris. “Chat Noir…” The voice cooed again. The butterflies seemed to make the shape of a face of a woman, about the age of Marinette, and with bangs. “You’ve caught my attention, especially you, Chat Noir,” Marinette shot a look at Adrien, then continued to watch the speech. “A new Hawk Moth has arrived, and now… I will be successful where Gabriel failed,” Adrien tensed his body, remembering the trial.   
“Adrien?” Marinette took hold of his hand, calming his nerves slightly.   
“I…” He stifled his words.   
“Adrien, I need to go, but will you be okay here?”   
“No, I want to come with you, to help Paris again,”


End file.
